Facility for anchoring ribbon to a spool in a holder

ABSTRACT

A normally frictionally driven carbon ribbon take up spool rotatively supported within a machine mounted holder is provided with a curved slot in an outer flange which extends from the spool core to its periphery in the direction of rotation of the spool. The flange adjacent to the peripheral portion of the slot is off-set outwardly to catch and draw a guided ribbon held in its path down to and to wind it on the core. The torque of the frictional drive effective on the spool and the turning moment prevalent at the root of the spool slot, are such that several ribbon winding turns on the spool core can be accomplished before the frictional drive slips.

[ Jan. 1,1974

[ FACILITY FOR ANCI-IORING RIBBON TO A SPOOL IN A HOLDER [75] Inventors: Hans-Georg Hengelhaupt,

Nuremberg; Friedrich Teichmann, Feucht, both of Germany [73] Assignee: Triumph Werke Nuernberg A.G.,

Nuernberg, Germany [22]. Filed: Jan. 21, 197] [2i] Appl. No.: 108,419

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan 22, 1970 Germany P 20 02 703.6

[5 US. Cl. 242/74 [5 Int. Cl B65h 75/28 [58] Field of Search 242/74, 74il, 74.2, 242/7l.8, 71.8 A, 195

[56} References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 319L881 6/1965 Campbell et a] .i 242/74.2 X

3,169,721 2/1965 Laa et al r. 242/195 Primary ExaminerGeorge F. Mautz Assistant Examiner-John M. Jilli-ons Att0rney-Joseph R. Spalla [57] ABSTRACT A normally frictionally driven carbon ribbon take up spool rotatively supported within a machine mounted holder is provided with a curved slot in an outer flange which extends from the spool core to its periphery in the direction of rotation of the spool. The flange adjacent to the peripheral portion of the slot is off-set outwardly to catch and draw a guided ribbon held in its path down to and to wind it on the core. The torque of the frictional drive effective on the spool and the turning moment prevalent at the root of the spool slot, are such that several ribbon winding turns on the spool core can be accomplished before the frictional drive slips.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 1 4 lNVENTORS' HANS-GEORG HENGELHAUPT FRIEDRICH TEICHMANN fi dzap ATTORNEY FACILITY FOR ANCHORING RIBBON TO A SPOOL IN A HOLDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to facilities for effecting, in power driven typewriters and similar machines, the automatic threading and anchoring of the leading end of a carbon ribbon to a core of a take up spool, which spool is contained with a cassette or holder and includes a threading slot in one of the spool flanges.

Inreasingly, in power driven typewriters and similar machines, there are used transfer ribbons of paper or plastic material which, in contrast to ink saturated textile ribbons, are required to be replaced very frequently. It is thus important that replacement changes of such ribbons can be effected efficiently and in a simple and efficient manner. I

The most widely used structures facilitating the presentation and attachment of ribbons to spools in power driven typewriters are adaptations of what has been used for fabric ribbons in manual typewriters and most often involves the use of a burr in connection with a spring clip. According to another structure, a core of elastic material is insertable into a hub around which the ribbon is wound and held by an embracing clamp.

However, such kinds of fastening devices are capable of use only with the spool standing still. Moreover, the removal of the used, wound ribbon is difficult to effect and soiling of the fingers of the person performing the task is unavoidable. To overcome these disadvantages, it has been proposed to provide in one of the spool flanges a straight radial slot which extends from its periphery to a point under the hub surface whereon the ribbon is wound. The hub itself embodies also a slot which is intended to facilitate better anchorage of the ribbon end. Although threading and anchorage of the ribbon in such case is made somewhat easier, it is required to set the ribbon transport mechanism into operation in order to set the spool turning mechanism in motion. Also, in connection therewith no provision has been made which allows the ready disposal of the ribbon from the slot in the hub whereto it is liable to become firmly clamped.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides facilities for effecting the convenient threading and anchoring of a leading end portion of a used transfer ribbon that is being issued from ribbon feed rolls, by simply presenting such ribbon portion to a threading slot provided in a flange of a spool which is turnably contained in a holding support or cassette, the transfer ribbon becoming threaded and anchored to the spool core without requiring the transfer ribbon transport to be switched into an active condition.

One feature of the invention resides therein that a ribbon take up spool is contained in a cassette embodying two walls, on one of which the spool can rotate, and further that the outer one of two spool flanges has a curved ribbon catching slot reaching from its core to its periphery and forms a ribbon catching nose. The inner end of said curved slot ends in a tangential relation to the spool core. Furthermore, the holder wall which flanks the outer spool flange has a radial gap emanating from a circular hole which is coaxial with the spool. A retainer ring suitably securely connected with the outer flange and of larger diameter than the spool core, in-

separably associates the outer spool flange loosely rotatably in the contiguous holder wall. The retainer ring has an opening to allow the ribbon to be deflected by and carried or led by the spool flange slot to the spool core.

A ribbon guide member is provided on the spool holder external of the spool and radially centrally of the stated radial gap which extends from the central hole in the outer holder wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a left hand side elevation of a cassette and a ribbon take up spool carried therein; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cassette and spool, portions thereof being broken away.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION On the left side frame (not shown) of a typewriter there is provided a cassette comprising hinged outer and inner walls 1 and 2. A ribbon winding spool which, in a known manner, is driven through a low torque slip clutch to take up ribbon, is mounted for rotation on a fixed axle 5 extending from wall 2. The spool comprises outer and inner flanges 3 and 4 respectively. In the outer spool flange 3, a slot 7 is formed which begins from its periphery and reaches to a core 6 generally in an tangential bias thereto. Advantageously, this slot 7 is of arcuate shape, as shown. At the outer end of the flange slot 7, there is afforded on the spool flange 3 a nose 8 which points in the turning direction of the spool and is flared outwardly of the general plane of said spool. When a stretch of ribbon 14, as illustrated in FIG. 2, is presented against the outer side of the spool flange 3 while the spool 3, 4, 6 is turning continuously in the direction in which said nose points, the ribbon is caught by the nose 8 and is led by the slot 7 against the core 6 to become wound and anchored thereon. The outer wall 1 of the cassette which flanks the outer spool flange 3 that embodies the slot 7, has a circular hole 9 of a considerably larger diameter than the spool core 6, and from this hole there extends radially an open gap 11 which is much wider than the slot 7 in the outer spool flange 3. i

The outer spool flange 3 is suitably securely connected with a partial flanged ring 10 (FIG. 1) forming with the flange 3 a circumferential groove (FIG. 2) by which the flange 3 is loosely supported by the edges of the circular hole 9 in the outer cassette wall 1 and thereby connected to the cassette wall 1 and movable therewith when the cassette walls 1, 2 with the spool flanges are hingedly moved apart from each other. Ring 10 as shown in FIG. 1 has an opening of a width which is about equal in width to the gap 11 in the outer wall 1 and has clearance with the slot 7 in spool flange 3.

To guide the transfer ribbon 14 to the ribbon take up spool 3, 4, 6, the side portion 2 of the cassette carries thereon a guide channel 12 which in turn carries a guide roller 13.

In order to cause the ribbon 14 to become attached to the core 6 of the spool 3, 4, a conventional, leading, uncoated portion thereof is led from conventional ribbon feed rolls on the machine, not shown, over the channel member 12 and the guide roller 13 and while the spool is continuously turning under light torque, the uncoated, leading. end portion of the ribbon 14 is grasped by the operator and is pulled down over the guide roll 13 into contiguous relation to the slotted spool flange 3 to within the ring 10. In such condition, with the spool 3, 4, 6 turning under light torque, clockwise as viewed in FIG. 1, when the outwardly flared nose 8 on the spool flange 3 courses around it will catch the ribbon l4 and will carry a portion thereof into the flange slot 7 between the spool flanges 3, 4, toward and onto the spool core 6. While the operator now lightly holds the ribbon 14 contiguous to the spool flange 1 within said ring 10, a portion of the ribbon becomes pulled inwardly at the slot and becomes wrapped onto the spool core 6. As the ribbon becomes tightly, gripped to the core 6, by one or more overlying turns, the spool 3, 4 ceases to turn because the torque exerted at the lever arm length constituted by the distance between the spool axis and the root of the slot 7 is too light to draw ribbon from the ribbon feed rolls in the machine.

As is known, feed mechanisms for advancing carbon ribbons through machines involves feed rolls which grip the ribbon to feed it, and also involve a take up spool which is power driven through a slip clutch under light torque. On one hand, these feed rolls effect the stepwise feeding of the ribbon in accord with the typed character widths by exerting a substantially strong pulling force against a considerable drag resistance caused by ribbon guiding elements. On the other hand, the take up spool is driven at very light torque impositively by power means including a slip clutch. The frictionally driven take up spool has merely the function to wind the used ribbon thereon as it is fed thereto by the stated feed rolls. Therefor, in view of the low winding moment which is active on the spool core, the take up spool 3, 4, 6 in the explained threading operation winds only ribbon thereon until the ribbon, by overlying ribbon turns, becomes automatically anchored onto the core 6.

The shape and design of the slot 7 in the spool flange 3 is such that it will not be any hindrance in the process of effecting the removal of the ribbon from the core. The slot 7 is adequately wide and has smooth and rounded edges so that the ribbon will not stay bound tightly to the core of the take up spool 3, 4, 6 while there is no driving torque exerted on the spool. The connection of the ribbon to the core 6 of the take up spool is solely afforded by friction contact which is created resultant to several ribbon winding turns. Usually, two winding turns will create the required frictional anchorage connection of the ribbon on the core.

The invention affords substantial and important advantages making it possible for an operator to load a new ribbon into a machine and onto the take up spool in a most advantageous manner without any special skill requirement and without entailing soling of the hands in the process.

The invention claimed is:

l. A ribbon spool arrangement for securing a typewriter ribbon by friction onto a rotating spool, the combination comprising:

a spool structure for winding a ribbon thereon,

a handling device for rotatably supporting said spool structure for winding movement,-

said spool structure including a hub for winding a ribbon thereon and a flange for guiding the ribbon as it is wound onto the hub,

said handling device including a wall flanking said spool flange and with a radial opening formed therein which extends from a central portion of the wall to an edge of the wall for exposing a portion of the flange and enabling a ribbon to be drawn across the edge of the rotating spool flange, said spool flange having a slot formed therein which extends from the periphery of the flange to the hub for receiving a ribbon drawn across the edge of the rotating spool flange and drawing the ribbon inwardly toward the hub as the spool rotates past the opening formed in the wall of the handling device, said slot formed in said spool flange being curved inwardly from the periphery of the spool flange and tangentially to the hub to define a nose portion for catching a ribbon, and

said nose portion being flared outwardly from the hub toward the wall flanking the flange for catching a ribbon held in the opening of the wall adjacent the rotating spool flange and drawing the ribbon inwardly along the curved slot to the hub of said spool for winding thereon.

2. A ribbon spool arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the combination further comprises guide means for supporting a ribbon adjacent the periphery of the flange in winding relation to the hub and enabling a portion of the ribbon to be drawn along the side of the flanking wall adjacent the portion of the flange exposed by the opening formed in the wall so as to be captured by the flared nose portion of the rotating flange.

3. A ribbon spool arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said wall flanking said spool structure has a central opening formed therein adjacent the hub of said spool structure with the radial opening formed in said wall terminating in the central opening to enable a ribbon held adjacent the side of the wall to be secured to the hub by being drawn through the radial opening and into the central opening formed in said wall as the ribbon is drawn inwardly along the slot formed in the rotating flange.

4. A spool arrangement according to claim 3, wherein:

said central opening formed in said wall has a circular configuration with a diameter greater than the diameter of the spool hub,

said spool flange has a grooved ring formation receiving an edge of the wall defining the central circular opening for supporting said spool flange on said wall, and

said grooved ring formation has an opening adjacent the curved slot for enabling a ribbon drawn toward the spool by the slot in the rotating spool flange to pass through the grooved ring formation and into the central opening.

5. A ribbon spool arrangement for securing a typewriter ribbon by friction onto a rotating spool, the combination comprising:

a spool structure for winding a ribbon thereon,

a handling device for rotatably supporting said spool structure for winding movement,

said spool structure including a hub for winding a ribbon thereon and a flange for guiding the ribbon as it is wound onto the hub,

said handling device including a wall flanking said spool flange and with a radial opening formed therein which extends from a central portion of the wall to an edge of the wall for exposing a portion of the flange and enabling a ribbon to be drawn across the edge of the rotating spool flange,

said spool flange having a slot formed therein which extends from the periphery of the flange to the hub for receiving a ribbon across the edge of the rotating spool flange and drawing the ribbon inwardly toward the hub as the spool rotates past the opening formed in the wall of the handling device,

said spool structure including another flange located on the other side of the hub in spaced-apart relation to said spool flange for guiding a ribbon as it is wound onto the hub,

said handling device including another wall flanking said other spool flange,

said other spool flange being rotatably supported by said other flanking wall,

said spool hub being formed of separable hub portions with one hub portion being associated with said spool flange and the other hub portion being associated with said other spool flange, and

said flanking walls of said handling device being interconnected for movement relative to each other to separate said spool flanges and associated hub portions to facilitate the removal of a wound-up ribbon from the ribbon spool arrangement.

6. A ribbon spool arrangement according to claim 5,

5 wherein the combination further comprises:

guide means for supporting a ribbon adjacent the periphery of said flanges in winding relation to said hub and enabling a portion of the ribbon to be drawn along the side of said flanking wall adjacent the portion of said flange exposed by the opening formed in said wall so as to be captured by the flared nose portion of the rotating flange, and

said guide means being supported by said other flanking wall of said handling device for movement therewith relative to said flanking wall of said handling device when said walls are moved relative to each other to facilitate the removal of a wound-up ribbon from the ribbon spool arrangement.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION- Patent N 5.782.651 Dated Tanuary 1. 1974 t Inventofla) Hans-Georg Hengelhaupt and Friedrich T ichmann It is certified that error appears in the above-identified! potent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 11, "inreasingly" should read --incteasingly-- Column 2, lioe 28, "an" should read a-- Column 3, line 53, soling" should read soiling-- Column 5 in Claim. 5, line -3, after "ribbon" insert dtawn Signed and sealed this 10th day of September 197 (SEAL)- V Attest:

' MCCOY M. GIBSON,' JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A ribbon spool arrangement for securing a typewriter ribbon by friction onto a rotating spool, the combination comprising: a spool structure for winding a ribbon thereon, a handling device for rotatably supporting said spool structure for winding movement, said spool structure including a hub for winding a ribbon thereon and a flange for guiding the ribbon as it is wound onto the hub, said handling device including a wall flanking said spool flange and with a radial opening formed therein which extends from a central portion of the wall to an edge of the wall for exposing a portion of the flange and enabling a ribbon to be drawn across the edge of the rotating spool flange, said spool flange having a slot formed therein which extends from the periphery of the flange to the hub for receiving a ribbon drawn across the edge of the rotating spool flange and drawing the ribbon inwardly toward the hub as the spool rotates past the opening formed in the wall of the handling device, said slot formed in said spool flange being curved inwardly from the periphery of the spool flange and tangentially to the hub to define a nose portion for catching a ribbon, and said nose portion being flared outwardly from the hub toward the wall flanking the flange for catching a ribbon held in the opening oF the wall adjacent the rotating spool flange and drawing the ribbon inwardly along the curved slot to the hub of said spool for winding thereon.
 2. A ribbon spool arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the combination further comprises guide means for supporting a ribbon adjacent the periphery of the flange in winding relation to the hub and enabling a portion of the ribbon to be drawn along the side of the flanking wall adjacent the portion of the flange exposed by the opening formed in the wall so as to be captured by the flared nose portion of the rotating flange.
 3. A ribbon spool arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said wall flanking said spool structure has a central opening formed therein adjacent the hub of said spool structure with the radial opening formed in said wall terminating in the central opening to enable a ribbon held adjacent the side of the wall to be secured to the hub by being drawn through the radial opening and into the central opening formed in said wall as the ribbon is drawn inwardly along the slot formed in the rotating flange.
 4. A spool arrangement according to claim 3, wherein: said central opening formed in said wall has a circular configuration with a diameter greater than the diameter of the spool hub, said spool flange has a grooved ring formation receiving an edge of the wall defining the central circular opening for supporting said spool flange on said wall, and said grooved ring formation has an opening adjacent the curved slot for enabling a ribbon drawn toward the spool by the slot in the rotating spool flange to pass through the grooved ring formation and into the central opening.
 5. A ribbon spool arrangement for securing a typewriter ribbon by friction onto a rotating spool, the combination comprising: a spool structure for winding a ribbon thereon, a handling device for rotatably supporting said spool structure for winding movement, said spool structure including a hub for winding a ribbon thereon and a flange for guiding the ribbon as it is wound onto the hub, said handling device including a wall flanking said spool flange and with a radial opening formed therein which extends from a central portion of the wall to an edge of the wall for exposing a portion of the flange and enabling a ribbon to be drawn across the edge of the rotating spool flange, said spool flange having a slot formed therein which extends from the periphery of the flange to the hub for receiving a ribbon across the edge of the rotating spool flange and drawing the ribbon inwardly toward the hub as the spool rotates past the opening formed in the wall of the handling device, said spool structure including another flange located on the other side of the hub in spaced-apart relation to said spool flange for guiding a ribbon as it is wound onto the hub, said handling device including another wall flanking said other spool flange, said other spool flange being rotatably supported by said other flanking wall, said spool hub being formed of separable hub portions with one hub portion being associated with said spool flange and the other hub portion being associated with said other spool flange, and said flanking walls of said handling device being interconnected for movement relative to each other to separate said spool flanges and associated hub portions to facilitate the removal of a wound-up ribbon from the ribbon spool arrangement.
 6. A ribbon spool arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the combination further comprises: guide means for supporting a ribbon adjacent the periphery of said flanges in winding relation to said hub and enabling a portion of the ribbon to be drawn along the side of said flanking wall adjacent the portion of said flange exposed by the opening formed in said wall so as to be captured by the flared nose portion of the rotating flange, and said guide means being supported by said other flanking wall of said handling device fOr movement therewith relative to said flanking wall of said handling device when said walls are moved relative to each other to facilitate the removal of a wound-up ribbon from the ribbon spool arrangement. 